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[CCMC 13102-R] CCMC Canadian code compliance evaluation

From: National Research Council Canada

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Code compliance opinion

It is the opinion of the Canadian Construction Materials Centre that the evaluated products, when used as an augered steel pile in a foundation system in accordance with the conditions and limitations stated in this evaluation, comply with the following code:

National Building Code of Canada 2015

ID Code provision Solution type
04-02-03-08-01-e-004.2.3.8.(1)(e) CSA G40.21, "Structural Quality Steel."Acceptable
04-02-03-10-00-0-004.2.3.10.(1) Where conditions are corrosive to steel, ...Acceptable
04-02-04-01-00-0-004.2.4.1.(1) The design of foundations, excavations a ...Acceptable
04-03-04-01-00-0-004.3.4.1.(1) Buildings and their structural members m ...Acceptable
09-04-01-01-01-c-019.4.1.1.(1)(c)(i) Part 9, orAcceptable

Ontario Building Code

Ruling No. 04-16-120 (13102-R) authorizing the use of this product in Ontario, subject to the terms and conditions contained in the Ruling, was made by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on 2004-07-20 (revised 2012-07-27) pursuant to s.29 of the Building Code Act, 1992 (see Ruling for terms and conditions). This Ruling is subject to periodic revisions and updates.

The above opinion is based on the evaluation by the CCMC of technical evidence provided by the evaluation holder, and is bound by the stated conditions and limitations. For the benefit of the user, a summary of the technical information that forms the basis of this evaluation has been included.

Product information

Product names

  • Pile P178
  • Pile P238
  • Pile P312

Product description

The product is an earth anchor constructed of helical-shaped circular steel blade(s) that is (are) welded to a steel shaft. The blade is constructed as a helix with a carefully controlled pitch.

The anchors come in threepile types: P178, P238, and P312. The Properties of the product pile type table indicates the properties for each pile type.

Table 1.  Properties of the product pile type
Type Exterior diameter of post Wall thickness of post Diameter of helix blade Thickness of blade
Pile P178 48 mm 3.7 mm 200 mm 8 mm
255 mm
300 mm
Pile P238 60 mm 3.9 mm 200 mm 8 mm
255 mm
300 mm
355 mm 9.5 mm
300 mm 12.7 mm
355 mm
455 mm
Pile P312 89 mm 5.5 mm 255 mm 9.5 mm
300 mm
355 mm
405 mm 12.7 mm
455 mm

 

The anchor type and blade diameter are chosen based on the bearing capacity of the soil and the load the auger-installed steel pile is designed to support. The central shaft is used to transmit torque during installation and to transfer axial loads to the helical plate.

The foundation system comes with various other accessories, such as plates, to adapt to the building structure, extension shafts and connectors, which conform to CSA G40.20-13/G40.21-13, “General Requirements for Rolled or Welded Structural Quality Steel/Structural Quality Steel” All accessories with treaded rods conform to ASTM A 325-14.

The steel shaft, blades and accessories conform to the 350 MPa requirement of CSA G40.20/G40.21 or ASTM A 500/A 500M-10a, “Standard Specification for Cold-Formed Welded and Seamless Carbon Steel Structural Tubing in Rounds and Shapes.” They have a galvanic coating that meets the 610 g/m2 requirement of ASTM A 123/A 123M, “Standard Specification for Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coatings on Iron and Steel Products.” All welders at Pieux Vistech / Postech Screw Pile Inc. are certified in accordance with the Canadian Welding Bureau to produce welds conforming to CSA W59-13, “Welded Steel Construction (Metal Arc Welding)”.

Figure 1 shows a typical steel pile with a single helical blade.

Illustration of Postech Screw Piles.
Figure 1. Pieux Vissés Vistech / Postech Screw Piles
  1. shaft
  2. helical blade

Manufacturing plant

This evaluation is valid only for products produced at the following plant:

Product namesManufacturing plant
Sherbrooke, QC, CA
Pile P178Product evaluated by the CCMC
Pile P238Product evaluated by the CCMC
Pile P312Product evaluated by the CCMC

Product evaluated by the CCMC Indicates that the product from this manufacturing facility has been evaluated by the CCMC

  Conditions and limitations

The CCMC’s compliance opinion is bound by this product being used in accordance with the conditions and limitations set out below.

  • The product under this evaluation is intended to be used as a foundation system to support the following types of construction:
    • Single storey residential buildings within the scope of Part 9 of NBC 2015; and
    • Accessory buildings such as sheds, gazebos, sunrooms, carports, decks or porches within the scope of Part 9 of NBC 2015.

    Other applications are beyond the scope of this evaluation, and a professional engineer skilled in such design and licensed to practice under the appropriate provincial or territorial legislation must determine the pile capacity and other design parameters.

  • The product may be used as part of a foundation system to support various constructions, provided that it is installed according to the manufacturer’s current instructions and within the scope of this evaluation.
  • When the product is installed in granular soil or silt, there is a direct relationship between the applied torque and the allowable compressive and tensile loads. The Allowable compressive and tensile loads for the product in granular soil or silt table indicates the allowable compressive and tensile loads as a function of the applied torque.
  • When the product is installed in a cohesive soil, such as clay, there is a direct relationship between the applied torque and the allowable compressive and tensile loads. The Allowable compressive and tensile loads for the product in cohesive soil table indicates the allowable compressive and tensile loads as a function of the applied torque.
  • When the auger-installed steel pile is installed in a soil with granular material that exceeds 200 mm in diameter, the relationship between the applied torque and the allowable compressive and tensile loads is not as predictable. When it is installed in such soils, the allowable compressive and tensile loads have to be confirmed by on-site load tests. These load tests are also required if the allowable loads need to be greater than those stated in the above-referenced tables. The tests need to be conducted under the direct supervision of a professional geotechnical engineer, skilled in such design and licensed to practice under the appropriate provincial or territorial legislation.
  • In all cases, a registered professional engineer skilled in such design and licensed to practice under the appropriate provincial or territorial legislation must determine the number and spacing of the auger-installed steel piles required to carry all the factored loads. A certificate attesting to the conformity of the installation and the allowable loads for the piles must be provided by a certified installer.
  • Where conditions (soil and environmental) are determined to be corrosive to steel, protection of the steel shall be provided. The determination of the presence of corrosive conditions and the specification of the corrosion protection shall be carried out by a registered professional engineer licensed to practice under the appropriate provincial or territorial legislation. If the determination of the presence of corrosive conditions is not completed before installation, the product, including all its accessories, is required to be hot-dipped galvanized, meeting the requirements of CAN/CSA-G164 (ASTM A 123/A 123M-17) with a minimum thickness of 610 g/m2, or another method that provides an equivalent level of protection and abrasion resistance deemed acceptable by the CCMC.
  • The installation of the auger-installed steel pile must be carried out as per the manufacturer’s instructions. The Pieux Vissés Vistech / Postech Screw Piles must be screwed into the ground to below the frost line using mechanized equipment. The anchor is rotated into the ground with sufficient applied downward pressure (crowd) to advance the anchor one pitch distance per revolution. The anchor is advanced until the applied torque value attains a specified value. Extensions are added to the central shaft as needed. The applied loads may be tensile (uplift) or compressive (bearing). Helical anchors are rapidly installed in a wide variety of soil formations using a variety of readily available equipment. They are immediately ready for loading after installation.
  • The installer of the proposed auger-installed steel piles must be certified by Pieux Vistech – Postech Screw Piles Inc. Using approved equipment, the installer must follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions and the uses and limitations specified in this evaluation. Each installer must carry a certification card bearing their signature and photograph.
  • Each Pieux Vissés Vistech / Postech Screw Pile must be identified with a label containing the following information: 
    • manufacturer’s identification; and 
    • the phrase “CCMC 13102-R.”

  Technical information

This evaluation is based on demonstrated conformance with the following criteria:

Evaluation requirements
Criteria number Criteria name
CCMC-TG-316615.13-15BCCMC Technical Guide for Augered-Installed Steel Piles

The proposed auger-installed steel piles were tested to:

  • ASTM D 1143/D 1143M-07(2013), “Standard Test Methods for Deep Foundations Under Static Axial Compressive Load,”
  • ASTM D 3689/D 3689M-07(2013)e1, “Standard Test Methods for Deep Foundations Under Static Axial Tensile Load,” and
  • ASTM D 3966/D 3966M-07(2013)e1, “Standard Test Methods for Deep Foundations Under Lateral Load.”

Testing was conducted on four different sites across Canada. Two sites had granular and clay soil; the other two had cohesive soil. A series of 32 tests was performed. The intent of the testing was to determine a correlation between the torque applied during installation and the allowable loads. In the granular and silt-based soils and in the cohesive soils, there was a good correlation between the torque applied during installation and the allowable loads. In the granular and silt-based soils, for the compressive loads noted in the Allowable compressive and tensile loads for the product in granular soil or silt, the factor of safety varied from 1.7 to 3.0. For the tensile loads, the factor of safety varied from 2.0 to 2.4. For the lateral loads, no correlation was possible.

Table 2.  Allowable compressive and tensile loads for the product in granular soil or siltTable footnote (1)
Applied torque Allowable loads
Compression Tension
N·m (lbf·ft) kN (lb) kN (lb)
678 500 20 4 500 4 900
1 017 750 24 5 400 8 1 800
1 356 1 000 29 6 525 11 2 475
1 695 1 250 34 7 650 14 3 150
2 034 1 500 39 8 775 18 4 050
2 373 1 750 44 9 900 21 4 725
2 712 2 000 49 11 025 25 5 625
3 051 2 250 53 11 925 31 6 975
3 390 2 500 58 13 050 31 6 975
3 728 2 750 63 14 175 35 7 875
4 068 3 000 68 15 300 40 9 000
4 407 3 250 73 16 425 44  9 900
4 746 3 500 78 17 550 48 10 800
5 085 3 750 82 18 450 50 11 250
5 424 4 000 87 19 575 52 11 700
5 763 4 250 92 20 700 54 12 150
6 102 4 500 97 21 825 56 12 600
6 441 4 750 - - 58 13 050
6 780 5 000 - - 60 13 500

 

Table 3.  Allowable compressive and tensile loads for the product in cohesive soilTable footnote (1)
Applied torque Allowable loads
Compression Tension
N·m (lbf·ft) kN (lb) kN (lb)
1 017 750 8 1 800 6 1 350
1 356 1 000 11 2 475 8 1 800
1 695 1 250 14 3 150 10 2 250
2 034 1 500 17 3 825 12 2 700
2 373 1 750 19 4 275 14 3 150
2 712 2 000 22 4 950 16 3 600
3 051 2 250 25 5 625 19 4 275
3 390 2 500 28 6 300 21 4 725
3 728 2 750 31 6 975 23 5 175
4 068 3 000 33 7 425 25 5 625
4 407 3 250 36 8 100 27 6 075
4 746 3 500 39 8 775 29 6 525
5 085 3 750 42 9 450 32 7 200
5 424 4 000 44 9 900 34 7 650
5 763 4 250 47 10 575 36 8 100
6 102 4 500 50 11 250 38 8 550

Administrative information

Use of Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) assessments

This assessment must be read in the context of the entire CCMC Registry of Product Assessments, any applicable building code or by-law requirements, and/or any other regulatory requirements (for example, the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, etc.).

It is the responsibility of the user to confirm that the assessment they are using is current and has not been withdrawn or superseded by a later version on the CCMC Registry of Product Assessments.

Disclaimer

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has evaluated only the characteristics of the specific product described herein. The information and opinions in this evaluation are directed to those who have the appropriate degree of experience to use and apply its contents (such as authorities having jurisdiction, design professionals and specifiers). This evaluation is valid when the product is used as part of permitted construction, respecting all conditions and limitations stated in the evaluation, and in accordance with applicable building codes and by-laws.

This evaluation is provided without representation, warranty or guarantee of any kind, expressed or implied, and the NRC provides no endorsement for any evaluated product. The NRC accepts no responsibility whatsoever arising in any way from any and all use of or reliance on the information contained herein or the use of any evaluated product. The NRC is not undertaking to render professional or other services on behalf of any person or entity nor to perform any duty owed by any person or entity to another person or entity.

Language

Une version française de ce document est disponible.
In the case of any discrepancy between the English and French version of this document, the English version shall prevail.

Copyright

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the National Research Council of Canada, 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the CCMC.

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Code compliance as an acceptable solution

Code Compliance via Acceptable Solutions

If a building design (e.g. material, component, assembly or system) can be shown to meet all provisions of the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B (e.g. it complies with the applicable provisions of a referenced standard), it is deemed to have satisfied the objectives and functional statements linked to those provisions and thus to have complied with that part of the Code.

National Building Code of Canada, Sentence A-1.2.1.1.(1)(a)

The CCMC has determined that compliance with this provision of the Code has been demonstrated as an Acceptable Solution. The evaluation report provides a summary of the basis of CCMC's compliance opinion.

CCMC's code compliance opinions

All CCMC evaluation reports are opinions of code compliance established in accordance with the National Building Code of Canada, Subsection 1.2.1. "Compliance with this Code," which requires compliance to be achieved by:

  • complying with the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B, or
  • using an alternative solution that will achieve at least the minimum level of performance required by Division B in the areas defined by the objective and functional statements attributed to the applicable acceptable solutions.

The CCMC assesses compliance with Canadian building, energy and safety codes, and is trusted by over 6,000 regulators across Canada.

Code compliance as an alternative solution

Code Compliance via Alternative Solutions

Where a design differs from the acceptable solutions in Division B, then it should be treated as an "alternative solution." A proponent of an alternative solution must demonstrate that the alternative solution addresses the same issues as the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B and their attributed objectives and functional statements. However, because the objectives and functional statements are entirely qualitative, demonstrating compliance with them in isolation is not possible. Therefore, Clause 1.2.1.1.(1)(b) identifies the principle that Division B establishes the quantitative performance targets that alternative solutions must meet. In many cases, these targets are not defined very precisely by the acceptable solutions [...] Nevertheless, Clause 1.2.1.1.(1)(b) makes it clear that an effort must be made to demonstrate that an alternative solution will perform as well as a design that would satisfy the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B—not “well enough” but “as well as.”

National Building Code of Canada, Sentence A-1.2.1.1.(1)(b)

The CCMC has determined that compliance with this provision of the Code has been demonstrated as an Alternative Solution. The evaluation report provides a summary of the basis of CCMC's compliance opinion.

CCMC's code compliance opinions

All CCMC evaluation reports are opinions of code compliance established in accordance with the National Building Code of Canada, Subsection 1.2.1. "Compliance with this Code," which requires compliance to be achieved by:

  • complying with the applicable acceptable solutions in Division B, or
  • using an alternative solution that will achieve at least the minimum level of performance required by Division B in the areas defined by the objective and functional statements attributed to the applicable acceptable solutions.

The CCMC assesses compliance with Canadian building, energy and safety codes, and is trusted by over 6,000 regulators across Canada.